What Happens in Vegas
by SuperNaturalGH
Summary: ...never stays in Vegas.
1. Chapter 1

It can't be just anyone. It has to be someone of good standing within society. It has to be someone that can meld well between both his world and polite society. Someone with a respectable job. Someone that isn't a major part of his life right now.

All the guidelines echo through his mind as he ponders the task set before him by the five families and Sonny. They weren't wrong, obviously, he's the most dangerous of everyone in the business. Unlike everyone else, he doesn't have a weakness. Not a weakness that they'd exploit, anyway.

With nothing to lose, they had to give him one or they'd refuse to do business with them. The last thing that they need right now is for things to go sour, not with the new developments pending and the many new partnerships in the making. No. This has to be done. He just isn't sure that he wants to take Sonny's advice on how to do it and the person to do it with.

Admittedly, she fits every description that the five families have laid out, but there was just too much bad between them to ever consider putting her through that, or him for that matter. No. If he's going to do this he has to do this his way or not at all.

Knowing that Sonny wouldn't let him ponder this for long before taking into his own hands, Jason packs up his emergency bag before heading out of the penthouse. He just needs a few days, somewhere away from all of this, some place he can think.

Leaving a message for his sister, not wanting her to fear for him when he doesn't answer her calls, he hands off his cellphone to one of his most trusted friends in the business, Francis, letting him know where he'll be. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't tell them, but he can trust Francis to keep the information to himself until its absolutely necessary to divulge it.

"Hate to ask this, but what if you don't find someone?" Francis dares to ask Jason as he straddles his bike.

"Then I'll face the inevitable." Jason says plainly, knowing that she wouldn't deny him, regardless of the history between them. "But not yet."

"In that case, Godspeed."

Starting up his bike, he kicks the bike off its stand with ease, taking off down the road at top speed. It has come to the point that his bike has become an extension of himself, much like his gun, that he doesn't even have to put much thought into riding anymore. Every turn, every move, is automatic, smooth and simple. Giving him more time to simply enjoy the thrill of the ride.

For a day and a half, he drives almost non-stop, only pulling off the road for necessities and quick power naps. With everything weighing on him lately, sleep is far from his mind, only getting in enough to sustain him before continuing on his journey. With only a week left to make the choice, Jason's time is beyond valuable, needing to figure this out before the choice is out of his hands.

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Standing before a full length mirror, Elizabeth stares at her reflection, wondering just who she has become in the attempt to reclaim the love she had lost a year ago. So much has changed between the time her love had been presumed dead and him being found alive. As much as she has tried to reclaim the love they had shared, she always comes up empty. Numb.

She has no idea what has caused the change in her heart, but the love just isn't there anymore. Every attempt thus far to relay her feelings to the people around her have been trivialized and belittled, consistently insisting that the love will find its way back to her. That she just needed time. And that a good step in recovering that love is to, believe it or not, get married the first chance they get.

The same church that they had said their vows the very first time with only god as their witness. The same day. Almost right down to the exact time. Anything and everything to try and rekindle the love that had once resided within them. She wishes she could see it, but she doesn't. She doesn't see how getting married will change anything.

"Elle..." her best friend, Johnny Zacchara, voices timidly in the doorway, causing her to turn her tear filled eyes towards the threshold. "Oh, Elle."

"How'd you get in here, John?" she questions, certain that no one would willingly let him through the door.

"Like I really need permission to be where I'm needed." he counter, shutting the door behind him, making sure to not make a sound. "Why are you doing this?"

"Its what's expected of me." she counters, turning her gaze back to the mirror. "I owe him this much."

"You don't owe him your hand in marriage." Johnny states firmly. "If you want out, just say the word."

"I..." she lets out a deep sigh. "I can't."

"You're miserable, Elle. I can see it and you know it." Johnny turns her to face him, showing the truth in his words. "If you want out, say the word. My hands are tied until you tell me its what you want."

"I..." she takes a deep breath to steady her nerves. "I...I want out."

"That's my girl!" a voice sounds off behind her, causing her to spin around in shock. "Ready to blow this joint, love?"

"Ethan?" she voices out of pure shock, looking from him to Johnny. "How did you know?"

"I didn't." Johnny admits. "But I wanted to make sure I was ready for anything. Ethan will take you out of town for a while, he'll keep you safe."

"Not to break up this mushy moment, mates, but I can only hang from the side of a building for so long."

"Go." Johnny insists. "I'll see you when you get back."

"Get back?" Elizabeth looks at him in confusion. "Where am I going?"

"Las Vegas." Ethan says with a smirk, holding out his hand to her. "Ready to hit the road?"

Glancing between her two closest friends, she lets out a deep breath before wrapping her arms around Johnny in a quick warm embrace, whispering her appreciation before rushing towards Ethan. She can already hear the whining and accusations that will be thrown her way, but she can't care about that now. Not when freedom is so close. Not when her life can soon be hers again. She just can't care now.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: For those who have asked, no, this doesn't follow any particular storyline or time. Enjoy and please review. Thanks._

The tension within the small church started to reach new heights as they waited for the ceremony to begin. All in attendance understood that this wasn't a traditional wedding, with Elizabeth's father not in the picture, so, the ceremony was intended on beginning the moment Elizabeth made her way to the threshold of the church. Now thirty minutes past the intended start of the wedding and all have begun worrying.

Emily, one of the self-proclaimed Four Musketeers, volunteers herself to go upstairs and check on the bride. Obviously, as a girl, she can understand the need to perfect her look, especially on her wedding day. A part of her hoped that that's all this is, but a larger part of her feared that it finally happened. That, with the wedding actually in full swing, Elizabeth would run as far as she possibly could.

"Johnny?" Emily felt her hope shatter at the sight of him. "She's gone, isn't she?"

"Long gone." he voices, making his way over to her. "You knew it was bound to happen sooner or later."

"I just...I can't believe she chose now to do it." Emily sighs, glancing over her shoulder before meeting his eyes. "What am I gonna tell Lucky and the others?"

"The truth." Johnny says simply. "I can stay..."

"No, you can't." she shakes her head. "They're going to want someone to blame and..."

"I didn't know you cared so much."

"I don't." she counters. "I just know that Elizabeth wouldn't want you to have to endure what they have to offer."

"Right." he shrugs, making his way to the window. "For whatever its worth, I'm sorry you're the one that has to break the news."

"Sure."

Watching him make his way down the side of the church, Emily lets out a deep breath, her eyes following him as he straddles his bike and takes off down the road. She knows that Elizabeth doing this shouldn't come as much of a shock to her, but she had hoped that things were going back to normal that she hadn't prepared herself for this.

Turning away from the window, she makes her way back out of the small room, knowing that she couldn't avoid it any longer. For a split second, she finds herself glancing over at the window as she's about to close the door, wishing that she too could take the easy way out like Johnny, but she knows she can't. In some ironic way, this is her punishment for not believing Elizabeth before. If only she had.

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Staring out the window, Elizabeth wonders how Port Charles will be when she returns, knowing that she won't be gone forever. Will they continue their ever persistent torment of reminding her of the past she had shared with Lucky? Will they give her a chance to be free? To be the girl she is now?

With a deep sigh, she shakes her head of thoughts of home, needing to pull herself back into the present and the destination before them. Glancing over at Ethan when he gives her a gentle nudge, a smile graces her lips at the sight of his.

For months they had talked about running away to Vegas for the weekend, just the two of them, a fun filled getaway. He'd show her the casinos and she'd do her best to prevent him from cheating. Ever since her marriage to Lucky had been decided for her, everything else, including their friendship, had been put on the back burner of her life.

"This trip's gonna be fun." he voices softly, nudging her again before stepping on the gas, intent on showing her a good time. "You'll see, love. I'll make this a trip you won't soon forget."

"I know." she whispers, smiling a soft smile before turning her attention to the window. "Maybe I'll even find myself again."

The more she thought of the girl she used to be before Lucky had been found alive, she finds that every part of her misses that girl. The girl that had found her independence. The girl that found her heart and soul as she found a way to love herself. Letting go of Lucky had been hard, but she found that she needed to in order to find herself.

In the time that he has returned, slowly but surely she had lost sight of that girl. She had lost sight of her independence and, by doing so, she has lost sight of her own heart and soul. Obviously the trip wasn't going to return her to the girl she had lost along the way, but its a start. Definitely a good place to start.

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Pulling into a motel, needing to get a little shut eye before getting back on the road, Jason pays for a few hours before taking the key and heading to his room. Though he usually hates staying in places like this, knowing that room service wasn't exactly as thorough as a five star hotel, he's thankful that he doesn't have to pay for an entire day when he only plans to stay a few hours.

Just as he's about to walk into his room, he spots a familiar face stopped at the traffic light just in front of the motel. With a soft smile, he waves at her when her eyes meet his, wondering what she's doing this far from town. Her hand goes up to touch the window of her car, a soft smile on her face, reminding him of the past that they share. However brief it had been.

Watching as the car takes her away, he lets out a deep sigh before turning away and stepping into his motel room. Seeing her had sent a brief moment of calm through him, remember their brief night rides they used to have together, but it also reminded him of the task set before him.

A decision has to be made before the decision is made for him. Something he just couldn't let happen. Regardless of what Sonny wants, marrying her will be his absolute last resort. One that he hopes will never become his reality. They've just started to get over what they had done to each other. Marrying each other now will ruin any progress they've made so far. That much he's certain of.

Throwing himself down upon the motel bed, he shuts his eyes, knowing sleep will come swiftly. The farther away from Port Charles he gets, the easier it'll be for him to think it through. For now, he can only hope that Sonny honors his wishes and allows him the time to do what needs to be done.

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As they continue to drive as fast as the speed limit will allow, Elizabeth's mind remains frozen on the man she had seen heading into one of the seediest motels she has ever seen before. The curious part of her couldn't help but wonder what he's doing this far from town. Was he on assignment? Was he running away from his problems like she has?

Shaking her head, she simply smiles a soft smile, knowing that whatever he's doing, at least she knows that he's still okay. It has been so long since she has seen him that she often wondered if something bad had happened to him. There was no way she'd ask Emily about how he's doing and no reason she'd ever tell her on her own accord.

As far as Emily is concerned, she and Jason were nothing but strangers. Only briefly interacting whenever she or Lucky is present. If only she knew the truth. If only she knew about the many nights she had lost sleep worrying over him. It was never intentional, of course, but once she thinks of him and a seed of worry is planted into her mind, sleep remained out of her grasp.

"What's with the look?" Ethan questions as they stop at yet another traffic light.

"What look?" she counters, playing it off like its nothing. "There's no look."

"Whatever you say, love." he shakes his head, knowing that she will lock up tight if he pushed her to it. "As long as it makes you smile, I won't push."

"Thanks."

"Probably wouldn't want to know what your thinking anyway." Ethan voices jokingly. "Probably have to do something extra manly to gain my manhood back."

"Would you just drive please?" she laughs, knowing that he was probably right. "We still have a long way to go before we get to Vegas."

"Right...here." Ethan reaches to the back seat, grabbing a thick blanket. "Try to get some shut eye."

Kissing his cheek in thanks, she turns towards the window and snuggles up with the blanket after reclining her chair. Soon she will be in the city that Ethan calls his second home with the best guide in the world to show her around. If she knows anything, its that she'll definitely need her rest, attempting to keep him honest will take all the energy she has.

With hopes of a fun filled time in Vegas to lull her to sleep, she slips into a peaceful slumber, knowing that they will soon be switching places. Regardless of how invincible he wants everyone to believe he is, even Ethan requires a few hours of sleep to keep his energy up.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: For those who have asked, no, this doesn't follow any particular story line or time. Enjoy and please review. Thanks._

Staring down at the shot of tequila in front of her, Emily can't help but wish that she could fast forward into the future, to a day where this entire situation is nothing but a bad memory. With the sound of the Spencer clan and Audrey's whining voice echoing through her ears, she has found her peace of mind in the most unlikely place of all, Jake's.

As crazy as it is for her to be in the local dingy bar, it was the only place she could think of that no one would look for her. Never in a million years would any of them believe that she would take refuge within those four walls, having hated the place since she broke up with her high school boyfriend, Juan, all those years ago.

"This seat taken?"

"Yes." Emily drops her purse onto it before turning to look at the man that couldn't take the hint. "What do you want, Johnny?"

"Just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine." Emily gestures to herself. "Still in one piece. Something that you wouldn't have been if you had stayed that day."

"Something I'm grateful for, of course." he smiles slightly, moving the purse before sitting down next to her. "You know, I heard it isn't healthy to drink alone."

"Is that so?" she counters with an arched eyebrow, taking her purse out of his hands. "From what I hear, it isn't healthy for you to drink with me. I'm just not liable for what I do once I have a good amount of alcohol in my system."

"I think I'll take my chances."

"Suit yourself." she says plainly, gripping the shot of tequila in her hand before downing it. "It's your funeral."

Ordering up another round, Emily ignores the curious look on Johnny's face, wishing that he'd just leave her be. After all the yelling and blaming that she had to endure from everyone, all she wants is to be left alone in silence, something she obviously wasn't going to get in his company.

Every part of her now understanding how Elizabeth must have felt these last few months. As much as she has tried to ignore it, this past few days have taught her a thing or two about having both families down her throat, something she definitely could have lived a long happy life without knowing.

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Her first night in the city best known for its night life, Elizabeth had to admit that it was everything she could have ever imagined and much more. The pure energy within the first casino that they have found themselves in, suffice to say that she wishes she were allowed to just paint this image. All the emotions filling that room, from the highest of highest to the lowest of lows, it was definitely a sight to behold.

"Enough sightseeing, love." Ethan snatches up her hand before guiding her over to a table. "Its time to see if you're any good in a real game."

"Oh, you're on." she laughs, plopping down into a chair as Ethan buys their way into the game. "Just don't cry if you lose again."

"Hey, waitress lady!" Ethan calls to one of the women surviving drinks to the players. "Two shots of tequila and a couple mugs of beer, whatever's on tap is fine."

"I'll have it to you in a moment." the lady replies before finishing up with the men at the other table and walking away to the bar.

"Trying to get me drunk won't work, Ethan." Elizabeth points out as places her two cards flat on the table. "Even you know I can hold my liquor with the best of them."

"Ah, yes, I do recall as much." Ethan smirks before leaning in. "But, don't forget, you have been out of practice."

As soon as the tequila gets to them, Elizabeth downs the shot before taking a long swig of beer just before the dealer calls the hand. With a smirk, she turns to Ethan, showing him just how pleased she is with herself. Sure, she has been out of practice, but thankfully she still has it.

"Like riding a bike." she voices, gesturing to her hand and laughing a throaty laugh when he realizes that she beat him. "Dejavu, Ethan?"

"Its just the first hand, love." Ethan reminds her as the dealer deals out another hand. "Try not to hatch your chicks before the eggs are even laid."

Laughing at his reference, knowing that he was just doing anything he could to get her to loosen up, Elizabeth takes orders up another shot of tequila, telling the lady to keep 'em coming before she turns her attention to the game. Strange how easy it is to get swept up in the chaos that is the emotional turmoil of casinos.

For however long it lasts, Port Charles and her non-wedding is the furthest thing from her mind, leaving her with a good mood and an even better feeling about. As selfish as it may be, she wants to live in this moment for as long as she's able to, forsaking everything outside of her immediate surroundings. Port Charles be damned because Elizabeth's determined to live it up in Vegas for as long as she can.

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Driving down the streets of Las Vegas, he couldn't help but feel a little strange, realizing that he has driven this far. He had intended to head north, but he had missed one too many exits and just kept driving. After seeing Elizabeth at that stop light, Jason has driven day and night, not even stopping to sleep at a motel anymore. Seeing her had brought so many memories to mind that sleep evaded him.

When sleep happened to be within his grasp, he'd pull off to the side of the road and get as much sleep as he could before getting back on the road again. Other than stopping for food and gas, Jason has been enjoying the thrill of the ride for the last few days, somehow ending up in Las Vegas of all places.

Pulling up to a casino, knowing that a a good game and some alcohol would do him so good, Jason parks his bike and heads inside. No sense in wasting a trip to Vegas by driving right through, right? It wasn't until he was inside the casino that a certain brunette catches his eye.

Standing by the bar, a bottle of beer in his hand, Jason watches from a distance, wondering what could have brought her all the way from Port Charles to the city of sin. As he watches her, a thought pops into his mind, a thought that just might be crazy enough to work. It sure as hell beats his alternative.

As he accepts a fresh bottle from the barkeep, he can't help but smile softly when a pair of beautiful blue eyes meet his from across the room. He truly believed that they had lost that, finding each other in a crowded room without any effort, but it seems that it has yet to fade away.

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She couldn't truly place it, but she could feel someone's eyes on her. Normally that would freak her out, but not this time. For some reason it felt familiar, so familiar that she felt the need to scan the room, partially fearful that it was someone from Port Charles. She knows its crazy, but with that bunch anything's possible.

It was then that she spotted him by the bar, leaning against it so casually, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to be in some random casino in the middle of Las Vegas. As a soft smile touches his lips, one is forced to grace her lips, no other option on her part. Every time she sees him smile, one instinctively graces her lips, always affected by the weight of his.

"Have them deal me out." Elizabeth says to Ethan before rising to his feet. "I'll be right back."

"If you're going, who's gonna make an honest man of me?"

"I think you'll survive." she smirks, fixing her dress before pushing in her seat. "If I'm not back by the time you're done with your game, come find me at the bar."

"If you say so, love." Ethan voices, watching as she walks over to the bar before noticing a certain mob enforcer at her destination, commenting with a chuckle, "Guess that's what the look is about."

Walking over to the bar, Elizabeth's smile widens the closer she gets to him. Its been so long since she's seen him and even longer since she's been this close to him. Before either of them realized what was happening, they were in each other's arms, hugging each other in greeting. Maybe it was the city or maybe it was something else, but being together right then just felt easier than it had in Port Charles.

"Strange, isn't it?" Elizabeth questions as they grab an empty table. "Us ending up in Vegas at the same time, I mean."

"Yeah." he agrees. "Definitely strange."

"So, what brings you here?" Elizabeth questions before catching herself. "You don't have to tell me..."

"Just needed to clear my head." he concedes. "What about you? Are you on your honeymoon?"

"Honeymoon?"

"I caught your wedding announcement in the paper." Jason elaborates. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding."

"That's okay." she counters. "I didn't either."

"Care to explain?"

"Long story." she replies. "Lets just say that its the reason why I'm in Vegas and not Port Charles."

"Well, whatever brought you here, I'm glad I got to see you."

"Me, too." she smiles, trying to hide her blush, the alcohol starting to get the better of her. "Can I get you another drink?"

"How about we go for a ride?"

"Right now?"

"Why not?" he counters. "Come on, you know you want to."

"Give me a second?"

"Sure."

Making her way back to Ethan, she tells him that she'll just see him back at the hotel before making her way back to Jason, ignoring the smirk on Ethan's face as she walks away from him. She knew that telling him where she was going was a bad idea, but she didn't want to worry him. If only she could smack that smirk of his face.

Following Jason out of the casino, she allows him to strap the helmet onto her head, the alcohol definitely starting to kick in. Straddling the bike behind him, a sense of familiarity spreads through her, having truly missed this feeling more than she ever allowed herself to admit.

"I know its been a while, so, I can take it slow..." Jason starts to say when she cuts him off swiftly.

"Go fast." she says anxiously, wanting to go nowhere fast. "I want to see the wind."


	4. Chapter 4

_~*Liason Appreciation Day*~  
>I felt like today would be a good day for me to just write in appreciation of my favorite 'abandoned' couple.<em>

* * *

><p>With every hour that passes by, she remembers her time with him more vibrantly, feeling as if they hadn't spent even a day apart. It always seemed that way with him, though, always feeling like no time has passed at all since they saw each other last. Technically, she knows that a good chunk of time has passed, but her heart tells her differently every time.<p>

Smiling softly as he dismounts the bike, holding out his hand to her, Elizabeth accepts his help in dismounting the bike. Strange how, even in Vegas, Jason can find the most beautiful lookout point that oversees most of the city.

They move in silence to a spot near the cliff, lowering themselves down into a sitting position, closer than either had intended. As their eyes meet, a soft smile shared between them, Elizabeth scoots a little closer until their arms touch, thankful for the ease between them.

"It still feels like a dream." she finds herself voicing. "Us meeting up like this. I doubt we could have planned it better if we tried."

"Maybe." he accepts her theory, but he's certain that he could have planned it better. "Are you comfortable?"

"More than I have been in a long time." she admits, letting out a soft sigh, laying her cheek against his arm. "How long are you going to be in Vegas?"

"Not that long." he admits. "I have some things I need to handle back home."

"You said you needed to clear your head..." she remembers from their brief conversation at the casino. "Is everything okay?"

"I guess there's no real harm in telling you." he voices after a brief moment of contemplation. "I'm getting married."

"What?" she couldn't help blurting out, scooting a few spaces away to meet his eyes. "Emily didn't mention anything about a wedding..."

"She doesn't know yet." he admits. "Not that many people do."

"I...I don't know what to say." she voices, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Jason was getting married. "Although, if that's why you came to Vegas, I have to admit this has to be the most tame bachelor party I've ever heard of."

"That's not why I'm here." he shakes his head, knowing what kind of conclusion she must be jumping to. "I'm still not sure who I'm marrying."

"Okay, now I'm confused." she voices, scooting back over to him at his request. "Is this an arranged marriage?"

"No...not really." he sighs, realizing just how difficult it was going to be to explain his situation. "It has to do with my job."

"Oh." was all she could manage. "A little less confusing."

"I'm the only one without a weakness." he explains. "Everyone believes that by getting married, it levels the field."

"Wow...I can't even imagine." she lets out a deep breath. "Although, it all makes a lot more sense than it did a moment ago."

"Good." he voices. "Because I was starting to confuse myself."

"I don't think its fair, though." she says seriously. "You shouldn't be forced to marry someone for that reason alone."

"Its the life I chose."

"Still." she states. "You deserve more."

"Depends on who you ask."

"Well, I'm not asking, I'm telling." Elizabeth counters easily. "You deserve more than that."

"Its nice that you think so."

"Do you have any idea who would do this for you?" Elizabeth finds herself questioning. "I hope its at least someone you can be yourself with, if nothing else."

"I'm hopeless if I stick to that." he admits. "Because there's only two women I can think of that I can be myself around."

"One of them being Carly, of course."

"Of course." he chuckles, shaking his head at the idea of ever falling back into something with his best friend. "And she's married to Sonny."

"Right." she ponders the women in his life and tries to think of who the other woman could be. "Which, I guess, would leave...Robin?"

"No!" he blurts out, a little harsher than he had intended, but he's had just about enough of hearing her name. "Sorry."

"Its okay." she waves off his apology. "I guess you've heard that suggestion before?"

"From just about everyone." he admits, running one hand down his face. "Besides, you said I should choose someone I can be myself with, right?"

"Right." she shakes her head. "Doesn't Robin fit that bill?"

"Not anymore."

"Oh." yet again, she's stumped, finding this to be the most confusing conversation she's had with him. "I can't think of anyone else."

"Really?" he looks at her skeptically. "You really can't think of anyone?"

"You meant me?" she blurts out when he gives her the look like it should be obvious. "Really?"

"Between you and Carly, you're the only two I can be myself around anymore." he admits. "And you're the last person I'd want to put in the middle of all of this."

"Why is that?" she counters, meeting his eyes with curiosity. "I mean, you know I'd help you if you really needed me to."

"I know." he admits, having thought about asking her a thousand times since seeing her at casino, but he just can't bring himself to actually voice the words. "But I also know you're going through a lot right now. The last thing I want is to add to that."

"Its true that I'm going through a lot right now." she couldn't deny that. "But it doesn't take away from the fact that I want to help you."

"Elizabeth, you ran away from your own wedding." Jason reminds her, needing her to really think this through and see past her desire to help him, yet again. "If we were to get married, we'd have to have a big wedding. Big enough to make everyone believe that its not just a rebound marriage. Including writing our own vows."

"Anything else?"

"The people from my world will expect a church wedding and a reception." he explains. "They'll want a chance to formally meet you and dance with you."

"I'm sure the dancing is a negative for you." she chuckles, knowing just how uncomfortable he is with formal dancing. "But its nothing I can't handle."

"What about the guards?" he questions pointedly. "You'll have to have at least two guards on your detail at all times, if not more."

"Will I be able to do my art?"

"Of course."

"Will I have to ask permission to go places?" she questions, though she already knows the answer. "Or will I just be confined to the penthouse?"

"Now you're just messing with me."

"I know that my life will have to change while I'm married to you, Jason." she assures him. "And, of course, it'll take some getting used to, but I can handle it."

"I still think its too much for me to ask."

"Okay, then, I'm asking you." she counters. "Not only do I want to help you, Jason, but marrying you will be helping me, too."

"How?"

"You helped me move past Lucky once before regardless of what everyone else wanted." she explains. "I'm hoping that, maybe, you can do that for me again."

"Are you sure you want to be married to me?"

"Are you?" she counters. "Because trust me, my life's not the only one that's going to change. Yours will, too."

"I'm sure I can handle it."

"I guess we'll see, won't we?"

"I guess we will." he smiles softly. "Come on, lets go for a ride."


	5. Chapter 5

Though she's unaware of the reason behind Sonny's sudden desire to see her, she can't help but delve into the most scariest reasons. Why else would Sonny insist that she meet him at his office rather than his penthouse, like he usually requests? Why else would he have one of his guards escort her from the hospital in one of his town cars instead of having her drive there in her own vehicle?

The more she thought of what could possibly have Sonny requesting her presence under so much secrecy, the more her heart feared the worst. She had worked herself up so much that the moment she walked through the door of Sonny's office, she blurted out her fears a little louder than she had intended.

"Is Jason hurt?" she blurts out, briefly turning to see the guard shut the door before focusing on Sonny. "Please tell me he's not dead, Sonny."

"Slow down." Sonny walks around his desk to stand in front of her. "Nothing's wrong with Jason."

"My god!" she slaps his arm. "You nearly scared me to death, you know that."

"Why would you think Jason was hurt?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because of all the secrecy." she points out. "If its not because something happened to Jason, why are we meeting in your office with guards present?"

"Sit." he gestures for to the chair next to her before leaning on the desk. "The reason I had you meet me here is to avoid any confrontation with my wife. She has a tendency to eavesdrop and this particular conversation is one I'd prefer not having with her around."

"Not helping with the worry factor, but I guess I can understand." Robin relaxes a little, anxious to know why Sonny wanted the meeting.

"Leaving out all the business details, Jason has to get married in less than a month." Sonny explains. "I know things between the two of you have been rocky, at best, and I wouldn't bring this up to you if it weren't important..."

"Jason's getting married..." Robin couldn't even begin to process that. "Wha...to who?"

"I was hoping...to you."

"Me?" she blurts out in shock, unable to hide her confusion. "You want him to marry me? Why?"

"Its not that simple." Sonny explains. "If Jason doesn't get married, his life, along with a lot of the people we both care about, will be in a lot of danger."

"I...I can't believe this." Robin rises to her feet, trying her best to understand. "Am I really supposed to believe that people's lives are relying on Jason getting married?"

"I wish I could give you all the details, but that's how it is." Sonny reaches out to take her hands in his. "You know I'd never ask this of you if it weren't important."

"If its as serious as you're making it and Jason really does need my help..." Robin takes a deep breath, knowing that she had no other choice, that it wasn't even a choice. "I'll do it. I'll help him."

"Thank you..."

"Have Jason call me later." Robin removes her hands from his grasp. "I get off around nine."

"He's out of town." Sonny replies. "If he calls, I'll let him know to call you."

"Okay." Robin shakes her head, pulling open the door. "See you later."

Watching her walk out of the office, Sonny had to admit that it had gone a lot better than he thought it would. With rumors floating around about Robin having a crush on a new doctor at the hospital, he had expected some kind of resistance. Thankfully, for his sake, there wasn't much, if any, resistance on her part. All that's left to do now is to get Jason to see reason. Robin's the only person that fits the bill. The sooner he realizes that, the better off they'll be.

**WwWwWwWwW**

Rummaging through the clothes that she had, Elizabeth felt like there was absolutely nothing for her to wear. What does one wear to their first date with the man they're about to marry? Just the thought of it sent her into a nervous wreck. How many women can actually say that and literally mean it? She's marrying Jason in less than a week and their only having their first date now.

"So, you're really doing it?" Ethan voices from the doorway. "You're really going to get married?"

"Yes." she replies simply, still rummaging through her limited amount of clothes. "You don't have to approve."

"Who said anything about not approving?" Ethan counters, walking into the room and shutting the door. "Hell, I'll take Morgan over Blondie any day."

"You approve?" Elizabeth stops rummaging to look at him skeptically for a moment before shaking her head. "Strange, but okay."

"Hey, the man has made you smile more time in a hour than I've seen Blondie do in a month." Ethan explains, plopping down onto the bed. "Anyone that can pull that off is okay by me."

"Great...now, can you help me pick something to wear?" Elizabeth holds up a couple dresses. "I have no idea what to wear to a first date with my...fiance?"

"Go ahead, love, you can say it without choking on it." Ethan chuckles before walking over to the closet. "I bought this for our last day in Vegas, but I guess you can use it now."

"Oh my gosh..." Elizabeth walks over to him, taking the most beautiful black dress into her hands, still amazed that he was able to get it without her knowing. "Its...its perfect."

"I really am happy for you, love." Ethan assures, placing a soft kiss upon her forehead. "I know this'll be good for you."

Hugging him tightly, Elizabeth whispers her thanks before running for the bathroom to get ready for her date. Jason said that he'll be there to pick her up in a couple hours and she still had so much to do to get ready. She has no idea where they're going and she honestly didn't care. Its been so long since she has been excited for a date and she just wanted to enjoy it while it lasts.

**WwWwWwWwWwW**

Standing in front of a full length mirror, Jason had to admit that he never truly thought she'd agree. If nothing else, he had believed she'd turn him down on the sole fact that they've never really had that much of a romantic entanglement. Up until now, they've only been little more than friends, never truly stepping over that line.

As he stands there, anxious for their first date, he can see now that he had been blinded from the start. Everything about Elizabeth calls to him, pulls him in and sets him free all at once. As unexpected as their impending wedding has been, he finds that he can't wait. Elizabeth Morgan. He had to admit it has a pretty good ring to it.

"Just checking in." Jason says after calling his cellphone and waiting long enough for Francis to pick up. "How are things over there?"

"Sonny requested a meeting with Robin." Francis divulges. "He told her about your need to get married."

"Dammit." he snaps before taking a deep breath. "I should have known he wouldn't wait."

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry." Jason assures his friend. "I've got it covered."

"You found someone?"

"You can say that." Jason smiles slightly. "I'll see you when we get back to town."

"Can't wait to meet her."

Ending the call, Jason grabs his keys before heading out. Regardless of what Sonny wants, he has found the woman he's going to marry and nothing he or anyone says will change that. As much as he still cares for Robin, he can't marry her. Not now. Not after all they've been through. Sooner or later, Sonny will understand that, but, for right now, he has a date to get to.

**WwWwWwWwW**

"It worked." Ethan tells Johnny over the phone as he watches Elizabeth waiting for Jason by the door. "They're getting married."

"Good, that's good." Johnny smirks, looking over at Emily as she sits at the bar for the third night in a row. "Keep me updated."


	6. Chapter 6

_thank you for your reviews! glad to know you're all enjoying it. :D_

* * *

><p>The atmosphere in the bar is much like it is every other night, but still its a lot more welcoming than her friends have been lately. With Elizabeth nowhere to be found, they have chosen her as their target for anger, as if she had any part in Elizabeth's vanishing act. She had truly believed the wedding would happen. How was she supposed to foresee Elizabeth booking it right before the I Do's.<p>

With a deep sigh, she orders up another shot of whiskey before downing it, thankful that they don't cut people off in this bar. Just as the alcohol starts to settle in and numb her out, the one person in all of Port Charles that she wishes would leave her alone plops down beside her at the bar.

"You." she states with irritation, signalling the bartender for another shot. "Can't you give me even one night of peace?"

"I would, but not here." he voices after a moment of thought. "This isn't a place for someone like you."

"Someone like me?" she repeats in shock. "What kind of someone do you think I am?"

"The good kind." he replies honestly. "You deserve more than getting drunk every night."

"Oh, I suppose you're the one to show me that?" she scoffs, downing the shot once its in front of her. "No offense, Johnny, but you're the last person to tell me about how good I am."

"Why is that?"

"Don't you remember?" she questions seriously. "I'm a spoiled brat that's only focused on what she wants with absolutely no regard for the people around her."

"Who would say that?"

"You." she rolls her eyes, knowing that he remembers, but is only playing stupid to piss her off. "Last month."

"Right." he smirks, remembering that conversation vividly. "However, if I recall correctly, you called me a small minded mob prince that can only see what's right in front of him rather than the big picture."

"Right." she states between her teeth before letting out a sigh. "We're really bad at insulting each other, aren't we?"

"We really are." he agrees, joining her in her bout of laughter before shaking his head. "Despite your own belief, I actually have a reason for joining you tonight."

"Oh, really, now?" she turns to face him with skepticism. "And what reason would that be?"

"I need your help."

"I'm listening."

He could see that she was beyond skeptical by this point, but this wouldn't go with perfection without her help. So, in spite of how mad she'll most likely be at him when its all said and done, Johnny has no other choice but to enlist Emily's help. Two shots of tequila later, he lays it all out for her, successfully surprising her with the truth.

**WwWwWwWwWwW**

Swaying slowly to the soft music playing, the stars twinkling brightly overhead, Elizabeth couldn't think of a better way to end their dinner at one of the most prestigious Vegas restaurants. As they dance beneath the moonlight, she's taken back to their very first dance, the one they shared that very late night in the diner.

In many ways, that had been the night she started to see him in a different light. Sure, he was always there for her, doing whatever he possibly could to help her move past Lucky, but that night was different. As she fit herself into his arms, safe and sound in his embrace, she was forced to open her eyes to the man in front of her. To see him like any sane woman would.

From the beautiful scenery of the restaurant, they take a long night ride through the beautiful city, making it all the way back to the lookout point where their plans of marriage began. Sitting together in their spot, Elizabeth is overwhelmed with emotions long since buried about the man who will soon be her husband.

"I got you something." Jason voices after a long moment, shoving his hand into his pocket to produce a small velvet box. "I hope you like it."

"I..." she literally had no words, having believed that they wouldn't get to the ring part until they returned to Port Charles. "I'm sure I will."

"Open it."

"Its beautiful." she whispers as she takes in the delicate beauty of the ring. "Blue Topaz, right?"

"The jeweler said it was the perfect gemstone for an artist." he explains. "Is it okay?"

"Its perfect." she turns to look at him with teary eyes. "If I didn't know any better, I'd actually believe we were getting married for the traditional reasons."

"I know our wedding isn't exactly conventional, but I'm going to do my best to make it right for you."

"Thank you." she whispers, placing a soft kiss on his cheek before taking the ring out of the box. "Would you like to do the honors?"

"Sure."

Resting her left hand atop of his, she watches intently as he slowly slips the ring onto her finger before placing a soft kiss upon it. Just when she thinks that she can't be more breathless than she already is, Jason lifts his gaze, locking eyes with her, and all form of breathing ceases to exist. Those beautiful blue eyes staring into hers sends butterflies into the deepest depths of her soul.

Her gaze slowly drops from his to his lips, curious about what it would feel like it have them against hers. Unknowingly, her head starts to lean closer until Jason has no other choice but to give into the moment like she already has. His hands quickly going up to frame her face as their lips dance together in uncharted territories, laying delicate groundwork for the days ahead.

Turning her body to position it over his, Elizabeth lays her body flush against his as his body lowers back onto the grassy ground behind him. Legs interlocking, fingers entangling in beautiful locks of hair, the moment drowns them in its intimacy. A beautiful, heated, entanglement of passion and desire.

"I..." she whispers, her forehead laying against his as his hands lock together at the small of her back. "I have no words."

"Elizabeth Webber, speechless." he chuckles, pecking her lips. "I think I'll have to remember that for future reference."

"I thought you like my ranting." she counters, pulling away slightly to meet his eyes.

"I do." he assures, reaching up one hand to caress her cheek. "I could listen to you rant all day."

"Good." she smirks, laying her head down on his chest. "Because now that we're getting married, you'll probably have to."

"Can't wait."

**WwWwWwWwWwWwWwW**

She wasn't sure why Johnny would need her help instead of just hiring someone to do, but she has agreed to do it anyway. With things going on the way they are with the Spencers and Audrey, she could definitely use the distraction, if nothing else.

"Are you going to tell me who's getting married?" Emily questions, eyeing him curiously. "Will I get to meet them, at least?"

"It wouldn't be much of a surprise wedding if you talk to them about it, would it?" Johnny counters, holding open the door for her to get into his SUV. "They can't know about the wedding until its in full swing."

"And you expect me to put a wedding together in less than a week?" she looks at him like he's crazy. "A big wedding, invitations and all, in less than a week...what do I look like? The miracle worker of wedding planners?"

"You're Emily Quartermaine." he says with conviction. "There's nothing I'm willing to put past you."

"You owe me big time for this."

"Put it on my tab."


	7. Chapter 7

Stepping through the doors of the warehouse, completely surrounded by Corinthos' men, Johnny had to admit that he had expected it to take a little longer than this for them to stick their noses in. So much for underestimating them as a bunch of mindless drones riding the coattails of Sonny and Jason.

Dropping into a chair with a little help from one of the men, he braces himself for the top dog of the crew, Francis Corelli, one of the few Corinthos employees that actually scares him to his core. If he had not known the reason for the meeting, he would definitely be searching for an escape by now. Fortunately, for his sake, he's well aware of the reason.

"Talk." Francis states, standing with his demonic glare on. "Now."

"Sure, but first..." Johnny dares to question, truly desperate to know. "How did you find out?"

"Emily's planning a wedding, at your insistence, within hours of Jason divulging he's found someone." Francis states, squatting down slightly to meet Johnny's eyes. "Either you spill or O'Brien will get his way with you for the next two hours."

Johnny O'Brien. While Francis did scare him, O'Brien's the true insanity that rivals even his father at times. The kind of tortures that man is known for can send Anthony Zacchara himself running for his life, something that his father had taken into consideration when sending him alone to Port Charles to lay the ground work for their arrival. Suffice to say that his first month in town had not been pretty.

"I learnt about Morgan's...predicament...from my father's talkative play toy of a lawyer." Johnny admits, relaxing a bit into the chair. "I had a friend that needed an out..."

"You put her in Jason's path." Francis eyes him sternly before tilting his head slightly. "What's in it for you?"

"Why does something have to be in it for me?" Johnny counters. "Seriously, am I really perceived to be that shallow?"

"After I'm done with you, I just might let Emily have a turn." O'Brien states through gritted teeth. "I bet she'll be pretty eager to get her hands on you when I tell her its Jason's wedding she's planning."

"There's nothing in it for me." Johnny insists, throwing his hands up, knowing there was only one way out of there. The truth. "I had a friend that needed an out, one that I couldn't provide on my own...so, yes, maybe I used Morgan's situation to my advantage, but I assure you that he'll be thanking me by the time this is over."

"I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you." Francis counters. "Solving his issue for the moment won't get you anything from Morgan."

"Solving his issue isn't why he'll be thanking me." Johnny shakes his head. "Its the fact that he's marrying my friend...that's what he'll be thanking me for."

"Do tell." O'Brien states. "Who is this wonder woman?"

"I'll tell you on two conditions." Johnny says seriously. "I walk out of here the moment I do and you don't tell Emily who the wedding's for."

"Out with it." Francis states, accepting his terms.

"Elizabeth Webber."

Just like that, Johnny could see both men's minds turning, obviously aware of who Elizabeth is and, more importantly, who she is to Jason and Emily. Maybe they didn't have all the details as far as Elizabeth's situation with the Spencers goes, but they know enough to know that Emily knowing about the wedding arrangement wouldn't bode well for any of them. Neither would telling Sonny by this point.

Tipping toeing his way around the men, he does his best to stifle the urge to say 'great meeting, fellas, lets do it again sometime' on his way out. Letting out a deep breath the moment he hits solid ground that doesn't belong to the Corinthos Organization, Johnny heads back to the spot they had taken him from, needing to check on Emily's progress.

**WwWwWwWwWwWwW**

Ethan couldn't help but watch her as she dances crazy through the hotel room, rocking out to her favorite songs as she waits for room service. It has been so long since he has seen her let herself go like this that he just didn't want to miss a moment of it. More of the girl he loves is starting to surface and that had him grateful for Morgan in more ways than he had anticipated.

Downing his shot of vodka, Ethan grabs his wallet to pay for room service when they sound off on the other side of the door, thankful that they got there before Elizabeth pulls him into one of her crazy dancing episodes. The last time she snaked him into dancing with her, he had to wear a cast on his wrist for a month. Long story, one he refuses to delve into at this point in time.

"Thanks, mate." he replies, tipping the waiter before pushing the cart into the room, stopping it just shy of the bed. "You gonna turn that down so we can eat?"

"Kill joy." she counters, turning her music down before plopping on the bed. "That smells amazing."

"Lets hope it tastes as good as it smells."

Pulling their respective platters to them, a platter of chili cheese fries at the center, the two enjoy a decent lunch her favorite playlist as background music. Its been such a long time since they've been able to enjoy a good meal together, Lucky always getting in the middle of it, that he just wanted to relish in it. Even if that meant letting her finish most of the fries without complaining.

"So...when is this wedding, anyway?" Ethan voices once the main course is out of the way and they settle in for dessert. "I'm assuming it'll be soon?"

"Yes, it's going to be soon." she confirms. "But I guess we'll figure it out when we get back to town."

"So you and Morgan are a 'we' now...interesting."

"Oh, shut up. You know what I mean." Elizabeth rolls her eyes before eating a scoop of her ice-cream. "I can't explain it, but it just feels right."

"Compared to Blondie, you mean?"

"Compared to anyone." she corrects. "I mean, I've met my fair share of men and not one of them has ever made me feel what he does...its, believe it or not, beyond any form of explanation. There's literally no words for it."

"Is it safe to assume I'll be playing some kind of part in the wedding?"

"Of course." she says without hesitation. "Between you and Johnny, you'll have to figure out who will be my Man of Honor and who'll be walking me down the aisle."

"Hands down, definitely the aisle thing." Ethan smirks. "I do a mean father of the bride bit...all blubbering and whatnot, while giving your groom the death stare...it'll be unforgettable, for sure."

"Man of honor it is then."

Unable to hold back his laughter when she starts laughing, Ethan finds that he doesn't really care what part he plays in the wedding as long as he's in it. One of the many things he hated about her wedding to Lucky was that neither he nor Johnny were permitted to attend. Two of her closest friends and they weren't even allowed to be there to share in the moment. Beyond despicable if you ask him.

**WwWwWwWwWwWwW**

Checking on on Emily had been both a blessing and a curse. Despite her ever desire to have him as far away from her as possible, the task that he has laid before her has Emily yanking him closer than she finds comfortable. Coincidentally, with the tasks she has him doing, closer than even he is comfortable with. Really, what's the difference between egg-shell, off-white, and light beige?

Going through all the tedious choices, Johnny had to remind himself that he wasn't the one getting married in order to keep his sanity. If he ever gets married, he swears he's going to elope, quick and easy. These millions of decisions is just too much for him. Too much complications.

"Is that it?" Johnny questions, stopping Emily from walking over to the next flower arrangements. "Can I go now?"

"Not a chance." Emily counters. "I told you, you'd owe me big. Well...welcome to big."

"I thought, maybe I could pay you a couple million..."

"I'm a Quartermaine remember?" she counters. "I don't need your money."

"Fine." he gives, gesturing to the set up before them. "What's next?"

"Oh, you're gonna love this one." Emily smirks, linking her arm with his. "Cake testing."

"Perfect!" he exclaims, pulling his arm from her grasp to face her. "Chocolate! Next."

"What kind of chocolate?"

"The good kind." he looks at her skeptically. "How many kinds of chocolate can there really be?"

"Johnny, Johnny, Johnny." she tsks, linking arms with him again to guide him over to the cake table. "You really have no idea."

**WwWwWwWwWwWwW**

Though she hadn't been expecting him, she couldn't hide her delight in his presence. Ethan long since vacating the room to give them some time alone and, of course, swindle unsuspecting people out of a month's salary, Elizabeth's unsure of how smart it is for them to really be alone at this point.

After only one date, they were kissing like mad people, truly uncertain of just how far they might have taken it if she wasn't already exhausted from the beautiful date itself. Showing him over to the couch, she grabs them a couple beer bottles from the mini fridge before settling in next to him.

"You okay?" he questions when she grows silent.

"Just remembering a major factor in us getting married." she looks at him a little nervously. "Carly."

"Ah."

"Yeah...she's rude and vindictive towards me on her best day." she feels the need to remind him. "I can only imagine what she'll be like when she finds out we're getting married."

"You can handle her." he counters, turning her to face him. "You did before."

"Well, yeah, because you were recovering from a bullet wound...amongst other things." she throws right back. "What standing do I have on marrying you?"

"You're helping me...like last time." he points out. "Use that as your stand point."

"Life is really going to change when we get back to town, isn't it?" she voices, finally realizing just how much of her life will change, not that she hadn't before, but the Carly factor was only beginning to truly set in.

"Yeah." he confirms, wrapping his arms around her as he leans back on the couch. "But we'll be okay."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." he smirks. "And, if Carly happens gets too out of hand, I'll handle her."

"Promise?"

"I promise." he chuckles at her serious gaze. "I'll handle her, if you really need me to."

"Good."


	8. Chapter 8

Preparations for the wedding have begun to finally come together as the various little details settle into the big picture. Despite Emily's constant inquisition as to who the bride and groom are, Johnny has confirmed the final draft of the wedding invitations, which are set to be delivered in the coming morning with none the wiser. If only he could see Sonny's face when he receives his invitation.

With the bride and groom set to return by nightfall, every last detail must be ready for them, leaving no chance of turning back or postponement. Although he hadn't been too eager to allow them to, Johnny has left the security details in the hopefully more than capable hands of Corelli and O'Brien. The usual threat having been established in order to force his hand in accepting their 'offer'.

It was only upon Ethan's return that he had felt the ability to let out the breath he had long since been holding. Everything is riding on this wedding going off without a hitch and he couldn't risk letting anything get in the way of it happening. If Elizabeth is going to have any chance of breaking free from the Spencer clan for good, she has to marry Jason. The sooner the better.

"Gotta admit it." Ethan voices as he stands beside him. "I never actually believed you'd pull it off."

"That makes two of us." Johnny admits as he looks at the final set up for the church. "If not for Emily, I probably wouldn't have."

"You might have." Ethan assures. "It just would have been a hell of a lot more simpler and a terrible eyesore."

"You think you could have done better?"

"Hell no." Ethan scoffs. "If it were up to me, I would just shove the two in a Vegas chapel and be done with it."

"Would have been easier, that's for sure." Johnny agrees, taking a deep breath before shaking his head. "But Elizabeth deserves this...she deserves everything we can give her."

"No argument there, mate." Ethan shoves his hands in his pockets, finding that he just might enjoy the wedding more than he had believed. "Ready for that beer?"

"Definitely." Johnny turns away from their hard work to head out of the church. "Anything to drown out Emily's constant questioning of who the bride and groom are."

"Don't even try to play me." Ethan scoffs at his friend. "You and I both know that you'd die for a chance with little miss Emily 'Princess Perfect' Quartermaine."

Neither confirming nor denying Ethan's claim, he simply slugs him in the shoulder before climbing into his SUV to head to the bar. Knowing Emily, she'll most likely be seated at the bar by the time he gets there with Ethan. She's gotten a little better with the drinking these last few days, but he still feels the need to keep an eye on her just in case.

He wants to feel sorry for her, truly he does, but he just can't bring himself to. Elizabeth has had to suffer through the Spencers and her grandmother for a lot longer than Emily has. Maybe, just maybe, this will give her enough insight into Elizabeth's situation to soften the blow of the wedding that's about to happen. One can hope.

**WNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW**

After driving nonstop for the last day or so, Elizabeth and Jason decide to stop by the closest hotel for a quick nap before getting back on the road. With time running out on Jason's deadline, the sooner they get back to town and start planning the wedding the better off they'll be.

Of course, before he can even think of planning the wedding, he needs to make a stop by Robin's place and explain everything. A talk he wasn't at all eager to have at this point, but - thanks to Sonny - its a talk he has to have. Regardless of their standing with each other, she deserves to hear about his impending wedding from him.

"Look." Elizabeth voices from the minibar. "No matter where we go, they always seem to have your favorite beer and, yet, they can't manage to have my tequila."

"Thanks." he replies softly, taking the beer she hands to him. "You know, if you want something harder, we can always order room service."

"I looked over the menu." she reminds him. "There was no mention of tequila on the list."

"Leave it to your fiance." he says simply, walking over to the phone to order her beverage of choice. "There's not much I can't get given the right motive."

Fiance, she repeats in her mind, surprised by how easily he seems to be able to say. So comfortably. Slipping out of her jacket, tossing it onto the coat rack, Elizabeth relaxes on the couch as he speaks to the concierge about room service. In a matter of days, she'll be Mrs. Elizabeth Morgan and she has to admit that it has a tempting ring to it.

Just under ten minutes, there's a knock on the door and in comes room service with one of the most expensive bottles of tequila she has ever seen in her life. Waiting long enough for Jason to tip the waiter, Elizabeth picks up her tequila tentatively before looking at him with a sense of awe.

"You've got to teach me that one." she says with an air of laughter in her voice before allowing him to pour her a shot. "That kind of skill can really come in handy."

"If I did that, you wouldn't need me anymore." he counters, handing her the glass. "Then what?"

"I'm pretty sure I'd still need you." she says simply, downing the shot before meeting his eyes. "You know...for other things."

"Like what?"

"This."

Without a second thought, void of hesitation, she touches her lips to his, needing to feel his against hers. She had only meant for it to be a simple embrace, to show that she would always need him, regardless of the things that they'll learn from each other during the duration of their marriage, but it didn't end up that way.

Slowly but surely, the kiss picks up momentum, the passion growing, the desire building, the intimacy of the moment swallowing them whole. Lifting her up, he holds her closely as her legs wrap around his waist, allowing him to maneuver them towards the bed. Though all form of rational thought has long since flown out the window, Jason still has enough of a mind set to know that he will not make love to her on the hotel room floor.

"Are you sure?" he questions as he hovers atop of her, staring into her deep lust filled blue eyes. "If its too fast..."

"I'm sure." she says quickly, slamming her lips against his. "I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you. Right here. Right now."

Drowning in each other, no longer afraid of the fall, their bodies come together as one in the most delicious way known to man. As their bodies meet, passion filling every inch of their bodies as the ecstasy takes over, a door opens up in their hearts that neither had been truly prepared for. A door that leads them down the path to a true marriage. A marriage of love rather than necessity. For, with just a simple taste, the hunger is born, a hunger that will never be satisfied. A hunger for every last piece of each other.

"You did it again." she whispers as their breathing begins to return to normal.

"What's that?" he questions, placing soft kisses on her shoulder.

"You made me speechless." she says simply, turning to face him. "How do you do that?"

"I guess, the same way you help me find my voice." he replies softly, reaching up to caress her cheek gently. "Before you, I didn't know how to voice my feelings. Now I do."

"So I give you your voice and you take mine away." she smiles lovingly before kissing him softly. "I think I can get used to that."

"I know our relationship has started a little backwards." he voices, linking his left hand with hers. "But I'm hoping we can build our way to a real marriage."

"Really?"

"Yeah." he assures her. "Do you think that's possible?"

"I believe anything's possible." she says without hesitation. "As long as we're sure its what we want. Nothing's impossible."

"Okay." he lets out the breath he hadn't known he was holding. "But I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"If being married to me becomes too much, I need you to be honest with me and tell me." he says seriously. "I know you think you'll be able to handle all the changes that's bound to happen, but you'll never truly understand until you're living it."

"Jason..."

"Just promise me, please." he pleads. "I've seen this life tear apart a lot of relationships and I never want it to get to the point that I lose you in my life."

"I promise." she assures, knowing that he needs to hear it. "You'll always have my honesty."

**WNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW**

He had always known that sooner or later the two idiots would find their way to them. Unlike the two Corinthos men, he had believed they'd get to him a lot faster than this, but - hey - no one ever said they were very bright. Of course he never expected Emily to jump to their defense. That, in all honesty, was a very huge surprise.

"What will fighting with them get either of you?" Emily snaps at them. "Elizabeth won't change her mind any faster if you beat up her best friends!"

"We're her best friends." Lucky gestures to the three of them, the Four Musketeers. "Not them!"

"In Elizabeth's eyes they are!" Emily shouts. "All fighting with them will get you is a night behind bars. So, grow the hell up and leave them alone."

"Why are you protecting them?" Nikolas questions, looking at her in shock. "Since when are you on their side?"

"For the first time in a really long time, Nikolas, I'm on Elizabeth's side." she counters, folding her arms across her chest. "If that means protecting these dummies, so be it."

It would another long moment of awkward silence, but sure enough the two brothers leave Jake's without another word spoken. What was there to say? They have already made complete fools of themselves, more than either he or Ethan could truly hope for. Now, with a good amount of Port Charles as witnesses, the impending wedding between Elizabeth and Jason won't be much of a stretch. And, if they keep it up, it just might be more welcomed.

"That was almost decent of you." Ethan voices as he steps away from the bar. "Up until the dummies bit, of course."

"He's right." Johnny voices once Ethan walks over to the pool table for a game. "Didn't think you cared so much."

"I don't." she says plainly, plopping down onto the stool. "I'm just tired of them running their mouths."

"Uh-huh." Johnny shakes his head, plopping down onto a stool next to her. "Admit it. You're starting to warm up to us."

"Keep dreaming, Zacchara."

"Sooner or later, you're going to have to face the truth." Johnny counters, waving over the bartender. "You're more like us than you are like them."

"I am not."

"Whatever you say, Quartermaine." he smirks, ordering them up a couple shots of vodka. "Drink up."


	9. Chapter 9

Shutting off the bike in the parking lot of the local diner, Jason and Elizabeth make their way to meet up with O'Brien and Corelli just by the entrance. For a moment, Elizabeth can't seem to find move her feet, standing frozen by Jason's side a good distance away from them. It has been so long since she's spoken to either of them that she just couldn't seem to make her feet work.

"Hey, its okay." Jason says softly. "They understood why you couldn't keep in touch with them."

"Okay." she takes a deep breath before slipping her hand into his. "I'm ready."

Jason could feel her tense up beside him, but knew that she had no reason to worry. Francis had been the one to berate him when Elizabeth pulled away from them after Jason pulled away from her. He wasn't sorry about it, though, knowing that if he had fought for Elizabeth it wouldn't have ended well for any of them.

She taught him that everything that's meant to be will be and he had to believe it as he walked away. Seeing where they are today, he has to agree with the saying, thankful more than ever that they've found their way back to each other. They still have a long way to go as far as falling in love with each other is concerned, but, with fate in their corner this time around, they have time to make it there.

As soon as they reached the two, Francis pulled her for a warm embrace before pulling away and smiling softly. He had missed her over the years and was happy that the two were finally making their way back to what should have happened all those years ago. Voicing how much he missed her, Francis steps aside with Jason to fill him in on the business.

"Johnny..." she starts to say but is cut off when he just shakes his head and slowly wraps his arms around her, holding her close. "I missed you, too."

"Yeah." he whispers, taking in a deep breath before pulling away. "You have no idea."

"I'm sorry, you know?" she voices when he takes a few steps away from her. "It was just hard for me."

"I know." he assures. "I understood that."

"Do you think we can be friends again?"

"Wasn't aware we stopped." he counters. "In case I forget to say it later, its good to have you back."

"Thank you." she smiles softly. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"Come on." he says as he holds out his arm to her. "How about we grab something to snack on while they talk."

"Sounds good." she replies as she links her arm with his. "Fries?"

"Still reading my mind."

While they make their way into the diner to have some fries, Francis catches Jason up on everything business related. Sonny has been having a lot of surprise visits since Jason left town. Apparently there are a good amount of people in the other organizations that weren't too happy to find out that Jason just up and left town. It took a whole lot of explaining on Sonny's part to get them to agree to give Jason the time that they had previously set to come back and get married.

"Speaking of which, I have to go find Robin." Jason voices, needing to get it over with sooner rather than later. "Thanks to Sonny I have some explaining to do."

"Can't even imagine." he replies with a shake of his head. "There was something else I should probably tell you..."

"Can it wait?" Jason questions. "I really want to get this conversation out of the way as soon as possible."

"Sure." Francis shrugs. "Nothing life or death."

"Okay." Jason says before making his way to Elizabeth as they walk out of the diner, waiting long enough for Johnny to walk over to Francis before speaking. "I hate leaving you right now, but I have to go talk to Robin."

"Of course." she says without hesitation. "She deserves to hear about our wedding from you."

"Thanks for understanding." he says gratefully. "I just hope she's as understanding when I tell her about it."

"I'm sure she will be." Elizabeth replies with confidence. "If she knows you half as well as I think she does, she'll understand exactly why you chose to not involve her in this."

"I hope so." he sighs before shaking his head. "Anyway, the guys are going to take you to your studio to help pack up your things before taking you to the penthouse."

"Sounds good." she agrees. "Getting the moving part out of the way will leave a lot more time to actually plan the wedding."

"I'll meet you at home." he says softly before kissing her soundly. "Be safe."

"Good luck with Robin."

Gesturing to the guys that he was leaving, Jason makes his way back to his bike before heading off to Robin's apartment, hoping that she'll be there and not at the hospital. This conversation isn't one he wants to have with any amount of nosy busy bodies hanging about. At GH there's any amount of those kind of women working there. Spill even a little secret to one person there and it'll be all around the hospital in less than an hour.

**WNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW**

Arriving at the studio, Elizabeth's surprised to find her two best friends standing inside her studio waiting for her, a bottle of her favorite tequila and a few shot glasses in their hands. Letting the two guards know that she'll be out as soon as she's done, Elizabeth closes the door before looking at her two friends in disbelief.

"I can't believe you're both here right now." she shakes her head as she hugs them both at the same time. "I'll take that."

"Where else would we be, Elle?" Johnny counters. "So...I hear congratulations are in order?"

"Yeah." Elizabeth holds out her left hand before dropping it back to her side. "I'm sure you both know why I'm getting married to Jason."

"Because you love him?" Johnny guesses with a slight smirk.

"Because its fate?" Ethan suggests. "I mean, you both did end up in Vegas of all places, if that ain't fate..."

"Playing dumb doesn't suit either of you." Elizabeth counters. "I just want you both to understand that I know what I'm doing and that its not temporary."

"We know." Johnny assures her before helping her pour them all a shot. "To fate."

"No." she shakes her head. "To taking chances and doing whatever it takes to make your own dreams come true."

"Hear, hear!" Ethan exclaims with a chuckle before they clink their glasses and down the shots.

"Okay, okay." Elizabeth voices after the fifth shot. "I really should start packing."

"Need help?" Johnny questions as he sets his shot glass down. "I'm pretty sure we can handle packing up a few things."

"As long as they aren't breakable, of course." Ethan comments as he downs another shot before setting his glass down. "Wouldn't want to accidentally break anything important."

"Of course." Elizabeth laughs softly before gesturing to her dresser. "You can pack my clothes."

"Safe bet." Ethan replies before making his way over to the dresser.

Shaking her head, Elizabeth packs up her entire studio with the help of her two, not so sober, friends. It would take about an hour or so before they are all set and ready to make their way downstairs to the car. Once they have everything packed into Francis's SUV, she turns to her two best friends to say goodbye, only to be surprised further when Ethan hands her an envelope.

"What's this?" Elizabeth looks at them confusedly, knowing its not something from her studio.

"An invitation." Ethan says simply. "You should get going. I'm sure lover boy will be home soon."

"You're right." she says after a moment. "Before I go, I need you both to promise me you'll stop by the penthouse tomorrow. The sooner I start planning the wedding the better."

"We'll see you tomorrow." Johnny voices but doesn't comment further, wishing he could see her face when she opens the envelope. "Love you, Elle."

"I love you both, too."

Sliding into the SUV when O'Brien holds open her door for her, Elizabeth holds the envelope in her hands and relaxes into her seat as they take off to the penthouse. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of party Johnny was hosting that warranted an invitation. Usually they just told her about an event rather than handing her an invitation, so, it definitely peaked her interest.

**WNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNWNW**

Parking outside Robin's apartment building, Jason takes a deep breath before making his way to knock on her door, letting out a deep sigh of relief when she opens to door. As soon as she realizes its him, her eyes go wide before she shakes her head and gestures for him to come inside.

"Can I get you anything?" Robin questions, her words coming out a little more strangled than she had intended. "Water?"

"No, thanks." he gestures for them to sit down. "You okay?"

"Me? Yeah, of course." Robin shakes her head. "I'm fine. Just fine."

"Okay." he voices, deciding not to call her out on the obvious lie. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate that you were willing to marry me to help me out, but I already found someone else when Sonny approached you."

"Oh, thank god!" she practically exclaims before retracting at the confused look on Jason's face. "Oh, wow, no...I didn't mean it like that. Obviously, I would have helped you if you really needed me to..."

"Its okay." he assures. "You didn't want to marry me. You can say it."

"I really didn't." Robin admits. "I love you, of course, we both know I always will. Its just...you and I have finally come to a place where we can be friends again and I'd really hate to ruin that by getting married, you know?"

"I felt the same way."

"Good, good." Robin smiles brightly. "I even started seeing someone, you know? Its nothing serious yet, but its starting to head in that direction."

"I'm happy for you." he says wholeheartedly. "Do I know him?"

"No. He's a new doctor at the hospital." she admits. "His name is Patrick Drake."

"I hope you know that if he does anything to hurt you, he'll have me to answer to."

"I can definitely appreciate that." Robin replies with a soft laugh. "So...can I ask who the lucky lady is that gets to be your wife?"

"Elizabeth Webber."

"Oh, wow, I didn't expect that." she replies after a moment of thought. "From what I know about her, though, I can definitely see it. She's a very lucky girl."

"Nah, I'm the lucky one."

"I'm sensing there's a deep history between you two."

"Yeah." he admits. "I lost her once. I don't intend to let it happen again."

"You deserve everything good this world has to offer." Robin comments. "I'm really happy for you, Jason."

"Thanks." he replies. "Anyway, I should get going, she's probably already waiting for me at home."

"Of course." Robin walks him to door. "Tell her I said congratulations."

"I will." he assures. "And thanks again. Its nice to know you're still willing to help me."

"Eh, what are friends for right?"

Hugging her goodbye, Jason straddles his bike before making his way back to the penthouse. He wasn't entirely certain how telling her about Elizabeth would go, but he was pleasantly surprised that she was completely okay with not getting married. Finding out that she has started seeing someone else made him hopeful that they would soon find their way to being real friends. Hopefully better off than they had been as a couple. Getting to the penthouse, he finds Elizabeth unpacking her things in the bedroom.

"Hey." she greets him, leaning up as he leans down to kiss her softly. "How was your talk with Robin?"

"Surprisingly okay." he admits. "She didn't want to marry me."

"Good." she says simply. "Because I do."

"You better." he counters before sitting down beside her. "There's no bailing from here on out."

"Wouldn't dream of it." she smirks before kissing him once more. "Did she say why she didn't want to marry you?"

"Same reason I didn't." he replies. "That and she's seeing someone."

"Both good reasons." she agrees. "I'm glad she took it well."

"Just so you know, you can redecorate the place if you want." he says after a moment. "Once we're married, we'll start on finding a home for us and you can decorate that home as you please, as well."

"You'll help me, though, right?"

"Sure." he smiles softly. "If you want my input, you'll have it."

"I do." she assures before she pulls out the invitation that her friends had given her. "Seeing as neither of us had any input on the wedding."

"What do you mean?" he looks at her confusedly before taking the envelope from her. "What's this?"

"An invitation." she informs him. "To our own wedding."


	10. Chapter 10

Waking with a satisfied smile upon her face, Carly Corinthos slides off her extremely comfortable king size bed and slips her feet into her two thousand dollar, diamond encrusted, house slippers. Slowly stretching the fatigue from her body, she makes her way over to the walk-in closet to slip on her eight hundred dollar satin robe that she had begged Sonny for a few nights ago, continuing down to the living room once she finishes enjoying the soft delicateness of her robe.

"Mm." Carly licks her lips before claiming her husband's as his arms wrap around her. "Good morning."

"Breakfast's almost ready." he voices when he pulls away. "Leticia has taken Michael to the park for his baseball practice already, so, you can relax until the food's done."

"Don't mind if I do."

"Sonny, what's this?" Carly questions as she relaxes on the couch holding a delicately addressed envelope that simply read **Mr. & Mrs. Sonny Corinthos**. "Are you expecting some kind of invitation?"

"Not that I know of." Sonny calls back. "Open it and let me know what it says."

"You think the five families are hosting one their infamous poker nights?" Carly suggests with excitement. "Now that's something I'd love to attend."

"I doubt they'll host anything until Jason gets married." Sonny reminds her. "Speaking of which, I should get a hold of Jason. He should be back in town already."

"Don't you think he would have stopped by if he was back in town already?" Carly counters with a scoff. "Really, Sonny, its like you don't even know him."

"He's under a lot of pressure, Carly." he drags out her name. "In case you've forgotten."

"I haven't forgotten..." Carly started to say before she chokes on her words at the sight of the invitation laying within. "NO! NO! NO! SONNY!"

"What? What is it?" Sonny questions as he walks out of the kitchen to a steaming Carly. "What?"

"I thought you said he was marrying Robin!" she snaps, waving around the invitation angrily. "What the hell do you have to say about this?!"

"Would you calm down?" Sonny wipes his hands off on his rag before slinging it on his shoulder and walking over to see what she was getting worked about. "Let me see it."

"Go on! Read it!" Carly shoves it at him. "You see that name right there, Sonny, its not Robin Scorpio! He's marrying that freaking muffin face! How could you let this happen?!"

"I had nothing to do with this." Sonny says seriously as he sits down to read the invitation. "Robin was set to marry him. All Jason had to do was ask her and it would have been a done deal."

"Yeah, well, look at where your planning has gotten us!" Carly snaps. "I told you I should have been the one to handle it, but no! Now I have to go and fix your mess!"

"What are you going to do?"

"Whatever it takes!" Carly snaps as she stomps her way to the front door. "The only way he marries her is over my dead body!"

Anger flooding through her, she swears that she should have known that blood sucking leach wouldn't stay away forever. No. Once again that little muffin face has found Jason at his most vulnerable point and has weaseled her way back into his life. She has another thing coming if muffin face thinks she's going to let that happen. Not in this lifetime. Not as long as she's living and breathing. That muffin face will not get into her inner circle. Robin she could tolerate, she's done it before, she's gotten rid of her before, as well, but not that muffin face. She will not marry Jason!

**WMWMWMWMWMWMWMW**

The Quartermaine estate had been loud and lively with the usual arguments floating around, as well as insults, but once Alice brought in the wedding invitation all fall silent to the shocking news. It was barely a week since they had heard about Elizabeth marrying Lucky, a wedding they hadn't been invited to, of course, but this union was a whole lot more interesting. The invitation is addressed to Lila and family, which the Quartermaines take as all of them.

"Well, well, well." Edward ponders the invitation when his wife hands it over to him. "Looks like we have a wedding to attend today."

"If you're going, daddy, then I guess I shall attend, as well." Tracy voices as pours herself a cup of coffee. "I have been waiting for a good excuse to pull out that dress you bought me for my birthday."

"I have to work." AJ voices. "Right, Grandfather?"

"The invitation was to me and my family." Lila speaks up before Edward has a chance to speak. That means we will all attend. Understood?"

"Of course, my love." Edward kisses her temple before turning a glaring eye at AJ. "We will all attend the wedding."

"I'll get started on clearing the schedule for today." Ned says as he gathers his things. "Shall I RSVP for the reception under chicken or fish?"

"You go to work." Lila says softly. "I'll call Jason myself to extend our congratulations as well as an RSVP for the family."

Once everything was set and agreed upon, everyone got to work on preparations for the unusually sudden wedding. Monica and Alan both were uncertain of their place in attending the wedding, seeing as it was addressed to Lila instead of them, but decide that they will attend regardless. For years they have been trying to find a way to reconnect with their son and maybe, just maybe, attending the wedding will be the first step in accomplishing that.

**WMWMWMWMWMWMWMWM**

Sipping her cup of coffee, Robin smiles softly as she reads the invitation that has landed at her doorstep early that morning. She could almost hear Carly's screams of foul play as she makes her way over to her kitchen where her boyfriend stands in the kitchen cooking breakfast. Last night, after her talk with Jason, she finally had the courage to tell Patrick exactly what she expected from him. She wants to be exclusive. Nothing short of it. And, to her surprise, he simply responded with 'took you long enough'.

"Hey, you." he greets her with a gentle kiss. "What's that?"

"A wedding invitation." she replies simply. "Care to be my plus one?"

"Always." he replies slyly. "How else would I be able to see you in a dress?"

"You want to see me in a dress?"

"Sure." he smirks before pushing her up against the counters, locking her hands behind her back before doing so. "But I'm more interested in what happens at the end of the night when I get you out of it."

"You're so bad."

"Only in the best ways."

Her laughter is muffled out as his lips come crashing into hers, cutting off any coherent thought that might have slipped from her lips, his hands slowly doing away her robe to reveal her most private parts to him. The invitation said to call in an RSVP for the reception, but the more his hands roamed her body, the farther it was from her mind. Jason has to know she'll attend the reception, right? Her name will be on the list. She's sure of it. Letting out a loan moan, she allows her mind to go blank, leaving only the desire for her boyfriend and the hunger for his heavenly body.

**WMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWM**

Taking the mail from his butler, Nikolas makes his way to his living room where his brother has chosen to take residence until he can find a way to fix things with Elizabeth. Every part of him wanted to stop his brother from making anymore of a fool of himself, but he is a Spencer and they don't listen well. Sorting through the mail, he almost fell over in shock when he opened an envelope addressed to him and found it to be an invitation to Elizabeth's wedding.

"What?" Lucky snaps at him when Nikolas looks at him with a nervous expression. "What is that?"

"Nothing." Nikolas tries to shove it between the rest of his mail, but his brother grabs it before he can. "You don't want to look at that."

"Are you freaking shitting me?!" Lucky explodes. "This can't be real! She can't be marrying him!"

"It looks pretty real to me." Nikolas voices before taking a deep breath. "Maybe its really over this time, Lucky."

"The hell it is!" Lucky snaps, waving the invitation at him. "This sham wedding is not going to happen! You can bet your ass on that!"

Watching his brother storm out of the room after tossing the invitation in the trash, Nikolas shakes his head before picking the invitation up and sitting down on the couch. A part of him wants to be surprised by this, but he really isn't. As much as she tried to deny it, Nikolas had seen the true feelings behind Elizabeth's eyes whenever she mentioned Jason.

As much as he wishes that Elizabeth and Lucky could work things out, this invitation has changed everything. She's finally done with his brother and there really wasn't much that either of them could do now to change that. Deciding to take Emily's lead, Nikolas places a call to the number provided and RSVP's for the reception.

**WMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW**

She's angry. Not because of the fact that her best friend is about to marry her brother in a matter of hours without telling her about it. She can definitely understand why Elizabeth and Jason have chosen to do things like this rather than facing all the drama that would have undoubtedly come about if they were to make the announcements themselves. No. That's not why she's angry. There's only one person she's angry at in this whole ordeal and he's about to get an earful for putting her through this crap without telling her the most important part.

"Emily?" Johnny looked at her in disbelief. "How did you find me?"

"I strangled it out of Ethan." Emily snaps. "How dare you?!"

"I can explain..."

"You better have one hell of an explanation to make up for not telling me that I was planning a wedding for my best friend and my brother!" she exclaims. "You should have told me, Johnny!"

"Maybe." he admits. "But would you have done if I did?"

"That's not the point!" she replies angrily. "You should have told me!"

"It was just best this way." he sighs, running one hand down his face. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't risk anything stopping this wedding."

"Tell me one thing." Emily says firmly as she stands right in front of him. "Do they love each other?"

"I think they could if given the chance to do so." Johnny admits. "They're good for each other, Emily."

"Fine." Emily states. "But you and I are done from here on out. I never want to see or speak to you again after this wedding is over."

"Emily..."

"No." Emily says firmly. "Elizabeth may be a good enough person to see past this, but I am not. We're done."

Leaving a stunned Johnny in her wake, Emily makes her way back to the estate to get ready for a wedding she had blindly planned. Hopefully she'll be able to get some alone time with Elizabeth before the wedding, to get a true handle on just how serious things are and decide where she stands in regard to it all. A part of her feels bad for Lucky, but she no longer finds herself eager to jump to his defense. After all she has been put through after the wedding that wasn't, Emily just doesn't care all that much anymore.

**WMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW**

Standing in the middle of the bridge over Black Stone Canyon, their arms around each other, Jason and Elizabeth take a moment to just enjoy the peace and quiet, knowing that today will be filled with a whole lot of shouting and angry people that disapprove. Closing her eyes, Elizabeth focuses on the beat of his heart, thankful that she can do that now without feeling guilty or sad.

"You okay?" he asks softly, causing a smile to touch her lips.

"I'm perfect." she whispers, tightening her hold on him a little. "I just can't believe we're really here right now."

"I know what you mean." he admits. "I stayed up most of the night trying to wrap my head around it."

"Can you believe that this will be the last ride we'll have together before we get married?" Elizabeth says as she pulls away to look at him. "In just a few hours I will officially be Mrs. Elizabeth Morgan."

"I like the sound of that."

"Me, too." she admits, a slight blush reaching her cheeks. "If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up."

"Its not a dream." he says before kissing her lips soundly. "Its much better than that."

"We should probably head back." Elizabeth says after a long moment. "You still need to pick up your tux from the dry cleaner and I promised Ethan I'd get to the studio on time to do my hair and makeup."

"Okay." he replies. "See you at the alter."

"I better."

While he rides his bike back into town, Elizabeth climes into the SUV parked at the end of the bridge with a waiting Francis in the driver's seat. Though they didn't keep with tradition as far as not seeing each other at all before the wedding, they are keeping with tradition as far as Jason not seeing her in her wedding dress. It had taken her all morning to pick out the perfect dress, having sent her last wedding dress up in flames, and now all that's left is to get ready, get to church, and get married.

"Ready?" Francis asks her once she's buckled up.

"More than I have ever been."


	11. Chapter 11

The Spencer household is in full swing, Luke and Laura trying to calm Lucky down long enough for them to come up with a solution to this latest development. Neither of them could understand how this could happen. The last they heard, Jason and Elizabeth were no longer in the other's life. How did it go from completely out to getting married in such a short span of time? It made no sense.

"We'll figure this out, Lucky." Laura assures her son, desperate to fix this in order to get his son back. "I don't know how, but we'll fix this."

"Your mother's right, cowboy." Luke shakes his head before taking a deep breath. "That cousin of yours just might come in handy after all."

"What are you talking about?" Lucky asks his father. "Where are you going?"

"I've got some calls to make." Luke says simply before making his way over to the door. "I'll handle this, cowboy. Trust that."

As her parents console her brother and do whatever it takes to make this right for him, Lulu Spencer snatches up the wedding invitation from the coffee table before rushing out the back door, fully dressed to impress. If they aren't going to use the invitation, no use in letting it go to waste.

Calling ahead to get her name on the list for the reception, Lulu makes her way to the church, eager to bear witness to. In her opinion, Elizabeth has made a definite upgrade and she can only hope to learn a thing or two from the woman that would have been her sister-in-law.

**WMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW**

Standing face to face with her grandmother, Elizabeth used what little she was able to learn from Jason all those years ago and steals herself against the hateful things the elder woman begins spewing from her mouth. She always knew that her relationship with Jason would never gain approval from her grandmother, but she never imagined the woman would stoop this low. The almighty Audrey Hardy brought to a level where it seemed as if cursing was a second language.

Elizabeth could see Johnny itching to step in, but Francis has a firm grip on him and refuses to let go. She had told them to stay out of it. When it comes to her grandmother, Elizabeth refuses to let anyone stand up for her, knowing that it wasn't anyone's place to do so. She will face her and she will stand her ground like she has many times before. Regardless of the repercussions of doing so.

"What did you just say?" Elizabeth finally speaks up when she hears something she swears she must have heard wrong. There was just no way her grandmother had said what she thought she just said.

From the look on Audrey, it was apparent that the elder woman hadn't intended on divulging that tidbit of information during her mile long rant. Obviously Elizabeth's habits of revealing more of herself than intended while in a fit of rage has rubbed off on Audrey because she couldn't backpedal fast enough. It was then that she realized it was the truth. Which, in turn, caused a feeling of being betrayed and handed her freedom at once.

Audrey tries to end the conversation by heading for the door, but Elizabeth has the guys block her way. There was no way in hell that Elizabeth was going just let her up and leave now that the truth had been spilled. The only way that she was leaving that room was to give her every last detail behind her admission. After a lifetime of being belittled by Audrey and the rest of them, the older woman owed her this much.

**MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWM**

Hanging his tux in the closet by the door, Jason turns to face the man behind his predicament, Maximus Giambetti. From what he has learnt over his time working for Sonny, he never would have believed that this man would be the reason behind him getting married.

Everything about this situation sends up red flags all over the place for him, uncertain of the man's true purpose on pointing out Jason's flaws as if it was suddenly an important factor in regard to business being conducted. Until he finds the true reason behind Giambetti's motives behind it all, he has to play the part and play it well enough for him to believe it.

"I see you've got your act together and finally set the wedding into motion." Maximus comments after ordering Milo to pour him a drink. "Good. I was afraid I'd have to set up another meeting for a whole other reason."

"Its done." Jason says firmly. "I'm getting married."

"I got the invitation." Maximus says simply. "I appreciate the effort it must have taken to send it ahead of the rest. Especially with the last minute find in regard to the wife. For that reason alone, I have chosen to overlook your little disappearance."

"How generous of you."

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for weddings." Maximus shrugs. "Call it my wedding present to you and the future wife."

"If that's all you came here to say, with all due respect, I don't have much time before I'm expected at the church." Jason voices firmly. "Wouldn't want the wedding to be cancelled, would we?"

"Heaven forbid." Maximus shakes his head. "Which brings me to my true purpose for this visit."

"And that would be?"

"To ensure that this wedding goes off without a hitch, I have assigned an entire division of my organization, snipers included, to stand guard at your wedding. If anyone makes any effort to interrupt the proceedings, let alone thinks about rising when the priest requests for objections, my men will handle it." Maximus explains sternly. "This wedding, Mr. Morgan, will go completely uninterrupted. You have my word on that."

"Do you really think that's necessary?"

"With your relations to the women in this town, Carly Corinthos, in particular, I'd say its more than necessary." Maximus replies as he slides back into his coat. "You worry about delivering that heart wrenching speech of yours and you leave the rest to me. I have six armed vehicles fully loaded with my men who will see to it that you're not late."

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Turning her back on Audrey as she walked out the door, Elizabeth takes a moment to let the information sink in, unsure of what she would do now. She could almost feel their intense gazes upon her, almost willing her to tell her what she will do with the information that she was given, albeit reluctantly. The only problem was that she wasn't sure what she should or would do.

"I need to be alone right now." she voices just above a whisper. "Please."

Hearing the door open and shut behind her, Elizabeth lets out a deep breath, begging herself to think about this objectively. All her life she knew that there was something different about her, something that set her aside from the rest of her family, but she could never truly place it. With only their lies to guide her, how was she supposed to ever find the truth?

Walking over to her dresser, she shoves her limited amount of makeup into her purse before grabbing her favorite pair of heels and walking out the door. Today is about getting married and convincing the general population, both law abiding and breaking citizens, that she and Jason are the real deal. Anything outside of that just can't matter today.

**MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWM**

As Sonny hangs up his best tux in the living room to see what needed to be done before he gets ready to head to the church, his front door opens up to produce an unexpected visitor. Of course, with his wife in tow, it seemed as if the five families' need to have this wedding happen has come accompanied by Maximus Giambetti's old school flare. Word has spread that the Giambetti empire's starting to allow more civilized ways of handling things now because of his sons, but that didn't stop him from throwing around his weight whenever it suited him.

"Corinthos, I believe you lost something in the hall." Maximus voices as he instructs his men to release their hold on Carly. "See to it that you keep a better hand on your fox of a wife or I'll be forced to do it for you."

"What's the meaning of this?" Sonny questions as Carly moves to stand by his side, doing her best to keep her mouth shut, albeit painfully so. "What has my wife done?"

"A man of your stature, Corinthos, I doubt you're oblivious to what your wife was about to do." Maximus waves away his ignorance. "I will only say this once, so, open those holes on the sides of your head. This wedding is my number one priority. My only priority at the moment. If anything goes wrong, anything at all, and I find either of you had anything to do with it..."

"I can understand the urgency of the wedding, but there are other options in regard to the bride." Sonny tries to explain. "If you'd let us..."

"Morgan made his choice. The wedding's in motion. As far as I'm concerned, there are no other options." Maximus cuts him off swiftly. "I suggest you use what little time you have left to work on your poker face because you are both going to be standing at the entrance to greet the guests as they enter."

Just as Carly musters up enough guts to speak out against Maximus, he walks out the door and one of his men slam the door shut behind them. As his wife turns a glaring eye to him, he knew that he would be having an earful as they got ready for the wedding and the entire drive to the church. As much as she hates the idea of Elizabeth having any part in Jason's life, there was no way she'd give him any peace now that Maximus has forbidden any kind of outburst from either of them or anyone for that matter.

**MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWM**

Arriving at the church, Elizabeth makes her way into the bridal quarters as the two guards make their way to meet up with their men and ensure that security was tight. From what she was told, her wedding's going to be the most locked down, protected, wedding Port Charles has ever seen. With the five families' need for this wedding to happen, they've gained protection from a good amount of organizations to ensure that it happens without any delay.

Hugging her best friends in greeting, she allows them to get started on her hair and makeup. Not many people know this about them, but Johnny and Ethan are actually pretty skilled as far as makeup and hair is concerned. Ethan, in an attempt to impress a girl, had gone to beauty school. He ended up graduating from the school, but the relationship fizzled out soon after. Mostly because the girl couldn't stand the idea of her boyfriend being better than her at hair and makeup.

"Elle?" Johnny voices for what felt like the hundredth time before her eyes finally meet his. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"What?" she looks at him in confusion before glancing at Ethan and realizing that she had spaced out completely. "Oh, uh, nothing."

"Oh, uh, nothing?" Ethan looks at her with suspicion. "Now I know something's up."

"Are you having second thoughts?" Johnny dares to ask. "If you are, just say the word and we'll get you out of this."

"What? No!" Elizabeth blurts out, hating the mere thought of ducking out of this wedding. "I just...I have a lot on my mind, okay?"

"Care to share with the class?" Ethan questions. "We're here to help, love, but we can't do much unless you tell us what's going on."

"I know." Elizabeth sighs. "I just don't think now's the time to delve into this."

"There's no better time than now." Johnny counters. "You deserve to enjoy your wedding and we both know that won't be possible with whatever this is that's weighing on your mind."

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth lays it out there for them, knowing just how strange it all really is when the both look stumped at the information. As they finish up her hair and makeup, the three of them theorize all the possible ways this could be true. For this to stay buried for this long in a town like Port Charles, there had to be people at play than just the Hardy/Webber clan. Promising her that they'll help her look into her past, they leave her to get into her dress. There are a few more last minute preparations that had to be handled before the ceremony goes underway.

**MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWM**

Maximus has had his fair share of weddings, some would say more than his fair share, and he has to admit that the look of the church sent him back to at least three of his past weddings. As he gets confirmation from his enforcer that everything is as planned, Maximus spots his sons off to the side and gives them the nod to get things situated with the groom.

"Everything going to plan?" Maximus questions when Johnny Zacchara steps up to his side. "Don't tell me you botched it already."

"No, nothing like that." Johnny assures. "But circumstances have changed. Audrey Hardy let it slip out."

"Never could trust that woman to take much to her grave." Maximus states. "Has she started asking questions?"

"She's too wrapped up in the wedding to start." Johnny replies. "Once the honeymoon is over, however, its inevitable that she'll begin poking around."

"Good." Maximus says after a moment. "I have until then to make sure there are no resounding repercussions."

"Have you told your sons?"

"In due time." Maximus assures. "For now, we make sure this wedding goes without a hitch."

"Understood." Johnny replies before heading back to the bridal quarters to tend to the bride to be.

Turning away from his retreating form, Maximus takes in the beauty that is the church, all too curious to see just what the reception will look like. With everything falling into place, he knows that its only a matter of time before it starts to fall apart. Hopefully by the time he has to show his hand in this, he'll have a strong enough standing to withstand the fallout. Until then, however, he has a wedding to enjoy.


End file.
